Family Fun Night

I started the summer with extremely good intentions. I made a list (naturally) of all the fun things our family could do together and looked forward to spending at least one day a week checking them off. We were going to go to the movies, visit the Frist center, picnic at the Bicentennial Mall, shop at the Farmer's Market, play at the water park and go roller skating. It was going to be the Best!Summer!Ever!

So, here we are just a few weeks away from the 1st day of school and my list is sorely lacking in check marks. All we've done so far is go see Wall-E. As for the rest of it? Not so much. That's why I put my foot down this week and scheduled something. I informed Handiman well in advance that he had to be home early on Thursday because it was Family Night at the local roller rink and, by george, we were going. It seemed like a really good idea at the time.

It's been well documented on these pages that I was not the most social teenager, but let me tell you this. I could work a roller rink! It was pretty much the only thing to do in my hometown so every Friday & Saturday night my mom would drop me off for a few hours of pure roller boogie joy. I could fly on those babies and do almost all the tricks. I even owned my own skates and would practice in our driveway on many afternoons. Oh, I was good. Make no mistake.

Last night, I spent 2 1/2 hours on wheels and some things were not as I remember them. For instance, the cracking of the bones in my feet. That was new. And also the pulsating pain throughout my left leg most of the night. That, also was not as I remembered. And the fact that when I tried to get out of bed this morning and my back literally screamed out in an audible voice "Don't You Dare!" is not something I think I ever experience back in 1986. But I'll have you know I was the only member of my family who didn't fall down, so that should count for something.

Truth is there were lots of things exactly as I remembered them. The flashing lights and the feeling of picking up enough speed to generate a breeze on your face. It took me back. And the music wasn't that different either. Last night the DJ played "Funkytown", "Billie Jean", "PYT", "Dancing Queen" and "Boogie Down" and we watched the limbo contest and the skate races. We did not participate, mainly for insurance purposes. Since it was family night, we were spared all the obnoxious teenagers and offensive music and had an all-around wholesome, grand time. With one exception.

When I was a kid, I remember one or two adults hanging out at the skating rink but never thought much of it. Last night, Handiman and I observed a handful of people who, in our opinion, had no business being at a roller rink alone. One in particular was a man about Papa Gator's age. He was a skilled and rather expressive skater who liked to do tricks while swaying and dancing to the music. Another man, who looked about 50, was doing axles and sit-spins in the middle of the rink. They were both there all alone and one of them, towards the end of the night skated up to me and remarked "you girl sure is beautiful". My creep-o-meter was off the chart. I mean, it was just all kinds of weird. So, please note that if you are over the age of 18, there is really no reason for you to ever go to a skating rink alone. Especially to do flying camels.

Here are a few photos of The Woods on Wheels.

Handiman broke out his favorite t-shirt for the occasion. Because he's cool like that.

All of the pictures I took on the skating floor were from behind. Because skating backwards in no longer required for acceptance in my social circles.
Handiman, however, decided to give it a try and snapped this one. I'm pretty sure the look on my face means that "Brian Boitano Senior" was somewhere nearby.

The Ocho held on to one of us almost all night, either for fear of falling down or the creepy old guys, but eventually she let go and cut loose. That's my girl.